Folding chair



.L t e e h S w .tu e e h S 2 Z ml.. T.. S A m1 1. e d M 0 N FOLDING CHAIR.

er@ /zs ses: win2k @@4565 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

T. A. SWTz.

FOLDING CHAIR.

No. 563,816. Patented July 14, 1896.

n Jijbornegy.'

UNITED STATES PATENT Erice.

THEODORE A. SVITZ, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

FOLDING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,816, dated July 14, 1896.

Application filed July 29, 1895. Serial No. 557,412. (No modeld To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE A. Swrrz, of St. Paul, Ramsey county, Minnesota, have invented certain Improvements in Folding Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in folding chairs, its object being to provide an impro ved construction, which Will permit the part-s of the chair to be folded into compact form and small compass, so as to be fitted into a case for convenient handling when not in use.

To this end lny invention consists of the fea tures of construction hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved chair open for use. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the chair -back. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan vieur of the chair-seat. Fig. 4 is a side View' of the chair when collapsed and folded together for packing. Fig. 5 is a detail of one of the chair-legs. Fig. 6 is a de tail of one of Lthe braces for connecting the front and rear legs. Fig. 7 is a detail of the leg-socket for connecting the same tothe seat of the chair, and Fig. S is a detail of the locking device for securing the leg in outturned position.

In the drawings the bottom and back of the chair are made, preferably, of sections 2 and 3, havingventilating perforations 4, the top section 3 of the back being also preferably provided With a hand-hole 5. These sections are strengthened and prevented from splitting by end cleats G, secured one on each side by means of rivets,bolts,or screws 7. These cleats are connected together by means of hinges S,

oppositely folding or turning, so as to collapse the sections upon each other, as shown in Fig. 4. The back when opened or extended is held in such position by means of the locking-bars 9, pivoted at one end to the lower section, and adapted to engage the ingers orhooks 10, projecting from the cleats 6, as shown in Fig. 2. lVhen in collapsed or folded form, the bars 9 are turned to overlap each other upon the section to which they are pivoted, and held in place by means of the finger or hook 11, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The back is further secured to the seat by means of the braces 12, one on each side, which are offset sufficiently to allow the folded sections of the seat and back to be inturned between ,as shown in Fig. 4. The three sections of the seat are similarly held together by cleats connected together by the hinges S, so as to fold in the same instead of opposite directions, as is the case with the back-sections, and are locked in extended position by the locking-bars 13 and 14, pivoted to the section adjacent the back, and engaging the hooks or fingers 15 upon the chair-leg socket, and the hooks or fingers 10 upon the cleats 6, and when collapsed are folded together upon the section to which they are pivoted, and held in place by means of the finger or hook 16, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The legs 17 are held in place by means of sockets 18, to which theyare secured by means of the bolts 10, (see 5,) each socket being secured by means of the hinge 20 to the plate 21, which is permanently fixed to the seat of the chair, the socket being locked to the plate by means of the spring bolt or catch 22, provided with the push-pin 23, and held in thrust position normally by the spring 24, the projecting beveled end of the bolt 22 engaging the hole 25 of the socket when the leg is outturned at right angles with the seat.

The front and rear legs are connected by the folding braces 2G, one end of which is pivoted at 27 in the groove 2S in the leg, into which groove the brace is folded When not in use, the other end being provided with the hook 29, which engages a pin 30 about mid- Way of the opposite leg, the braces being further interlocked by means of a stud 31 on one of the braces adapted to en gage a corresponding socket in the opposite brace, as shown in Fig. 1.

Then it is desired to collapse or fold the chair, the locking-bars 9 are freed from the fingers 1G and folded upon each other, as indicated by the dotted lines in 2. The upper sections of the back are then folded upon each other and turned downward toward the bott-om, as shown in Fig. 4. The braces 26 of the legs are disengaged and folded into the grooves in the legs, the locking-bolts 22 are thrust inward, and the legs folded toward and past each other upon the seat. The locking-bars 13 and 14 are' disengaged from the IOC) The faces ofthe leg wheny outturned are parallel with the edges of the scat, but the hinges are set at a slight angle with the adf jacent' edge, (see Fig. 4,) those of each pair heilig at opposite angles, so that in folding the legswill pass by or over each other.

Ielaim-- 1.y In a folding chair, the combination of ythe back and seat, each made up of transverse sections, the hinged connections for saidr back and seat sections, and the locking-bars pivoted upon the face of one section of each,

, and adapted to engage the adjacent sections so as to independently lock the sections of said back and said seat in extended position:

2. In a folding chair, the rcombination of the sectional back and seat, the hinged cleats connecting said sections together, the lockin gbars engaging said cleats to hold them in extended position, the legs hinged to they seat, the locking-bolts for securingfthem in outturned position, and the interlocking pivote d braces for connecting the front and rear legs.

3.y Ina chair, the combination of the sec-y tional seat and back, the hinged cleats con-y f rnecting said sections together and permitting them to fold uponr each other,fthefbraces connecting the rear seat-section and the bottom back-section, the channeled legs, their connected sockets, the hinges connecting said sockets to the seat, the locking-bolts forsecuring said sockets with the legs in outturned position,and the braces pivoted to said legs, each adapted to engage the opposite leg, and also adapted to be folded into the channel in said leg when not in. use.

et. In a folding chair, the combination of the transverse sections of the seat and back, the hinges or joints connecting the adjacent sections permitting them to be folded upon each other, the bars pivoted upon the face of one section and adapted to sweep the adjacent sections when extended, and the clips upon said adjacent sections offset therefrom to receive the free ends of said bars.

5. In a folding chair, the combination of the back formed with a series of horizontal sections, the seat formed with a series of similar transverse sections, the hinges connecting the adjacent sections of the back and of the seat, the braces rigidly connecting the rear seat-section with the lower back-section, the locking bars or arms pivoted respectively to the lower back-section, and the rear seat-seetion adapted to be turned transverse of the adjacent sections, so as to lock them in extended position.

G. In a folding chair, having its back and seat formed of transverse sections, the com- Ther rwhole can then be packed into a rectangular box for convenient transportation.

bination therewith rof the braces connecting the lower back-section with the rear seat-secf tion, thusfformingftwo sides of a parallelogram, Vthe hinges connecting the adjacent scctions of the seat and of the back, so as to permit them to be foldedy upon each other, and withinth'e angle formed by the lower backsection and the rear seat-section, and the means for locking said sections in extended position. f f f f 7. In a folding chair having its yseat and back formed of transversey sections, and the rear seat-section and lower back-section rigidly connected yto form one angle of a yparailelograin, the combination with said sections, of the hinges connecting thesaine together and permitting them to be foldedr upon each f other andinto the angle formed by said firstnamed sections, and the locking-bars pivoted to said first-named sections and adapted toy engage the othery sections, so' as rto lock them in extended positions.

f S. In a folding chair, having its back and its seat' rformed with f transverse' sections hinged together and adapted to fold upon each other, and the lower back-section and the rear seat-section rigidlyfconnectedto form an angle of a parallelogram,and radapted to receive theV adjacent sections when folded upon each f other, in combination'therewith, the lockinge bars pivoted to said rigidly-connected sections and adapted to be turnedtransversely of the adjacent sections, and the clips upon said adjacent seotions,adapted to be engaged byfsaid bars so as tolock said sections rigidly in the samey plane. f f f f f f 9.y In a folding chair, the combination with the seat formed of transverse sections hinged together, of the legs hinged respectively to the front and rear sections of said seat, and the members pivoted to said legs near their bottom each adapted to engage the opposite leg near its top when the legs are extended` and when thus extended to interlock with each other, and also adapted to fold into or upon the leg to which they are respectively pivoted.

l0. In a folding chair, the combination of the back formed with a series of transverse sections, the seat formed with a series of similar transverse sections, the hinges connecting the adjacent sections of the back and of the seat, the sections of said back folding over and back upon each other and upon the rear seat-section, and the legs so hinged lto the bottom of the front seat-section as to fold toward and past each other upon said section, and in the folding of the parts to be carried into the space between said section and the folded sections of the back.

11. In afolding chair, the'coinbination with its seat, of the channeled legs hinged thereto, and adapted to be folded thereupon, thelocking-bolts for securing said legs in extended position, the brace pivoted in the lower end of the channel of each leg, and adapted to be folded so as to lie in said channel, and pro- IIO vided with a hook to engage a pin-Within the channel of the opposite leg, and the means for interloehin g the crossed braces of the opposite legs.

12. In an article of the class described, the combination with the chair-seat made np of the series of transverse sections hinged together, of the bars pivoted upon one section and swinging over the adjacent sections, odset clips upon said adjacent sections engaged by said hars so as to hold the sections in extended position, the legs hinged respectively to the front and rear sections, and the interlocking connections between said legs adapted to hold the saine extended, oi to be released and allowr the legs to fold against the seatsections.

THEODORE A. SWITZ. Vitnesses T. D. MERWIN, MINNIE L. THAUWALD. 

